EEG News

What's the Matter with the PSP

I'm working on a story about cell phones and television over at Technology Review, and in the course of my reporting, I had an interesting discussion with an analyst who told me that, despite all of the new TV products rolling out on cell phones, Sony's PSP handheld may be the device best suited for multimedia use.

This struck me as spot on when I first heard it, because everyone whom I know that has a device is simply ga-ga over its functionalities. The screen is beautiful, the design is sleek, and it's easy to use.

Then I read this piece over at 1up.com, which details the failings of the PSP in terms of games -- which, of course, was its primary reason for coming into existence. This was Sony's big move to not only knock off Nintendo, but also open itself up into new markets. On top of that, television networks and broadcasters started releasing some of their shows for the PSP -- and movie companies were looking to find ways to deliver movies to the device…and early indications were that the PSP was going to be huge.

But, the worm has turned. From the article, which is definitely worth the read if you want to find out how difficult it is to actually create a single device that spans across the three entertainment industries:

American Technology Research conducted a survey of 150 retailers as a barometer of PSP sales during its launch period. Only 50 of the 150 retailers reported that their shipments of PSPs had sold out. Sony's own numbers reported that 602,000 units out of a million-unit shipment were sold, falling in line with results from the survey.

Still, industry analysts were optimistic. "We think the PSP will be the dominant handheld gaming device in two years," says USB analyst Mike Wallace in his Video Game Industry Overview. Of course, anything can happen in two years, but if there continues to be a trickle of releases, let alone quality releases, then chances of the PSP assuming that role are pretty slim.

Nintendo Aims to Launch Free WiFi for Handhelds

Nintendo, which I've criticized mightily for failing to move forward with online gaming with its current console, announced that it would setting up 1,000 WiFi hotspots for its mobile DS game player, according to this Reuters story.

It's a good play for the company, which has a tremendously loyal audience with its handhelds, particularly since the Sony PSP is generating so much heat with consumers and the media.

The free WiFi hotspots will allow gamers to compete with other users in head-to-head matchups.

To its credit, Nintendo is hoping to roll out the new service in the right way, making it simple for any gamers to get online. From the article:

(Nintendo President Satoru Iwata) said online gaming had yet to take off and spread to a wide audience of users because of various drawbacks, including a laborious process to get connected to a network and consumers' unwillingness to pay a monthly fee for access.

AP: Sony's PSP a Multimedia Dud

The Associated Press has an unflattering opinion about Sony's PSP, the portable gaming/multimedia device meant to dethrone Nintendo in the mobile gaming space.

Fortunately for Sony, the game portion has received positive reviews -- it's the music/movie components that didn't exactly wow the AP. That's not a huge surprise, because big companies are going to have to learn the lessons that Nintendo has long been perfecting.

Nokia found that out when it launched it's N-Gage device, which was summarily hammered by critics and consumers alike. (One of the fatal flaws: the battery and game slots were too close to each other, making it difficult to change one without dealing with the other.)

Time will tell how the PSP sells in the United States. It may turn out that people are less interesting in the multi-use, multimedia component (something Michael Robertson continues to tell me) and instead want single devices that do one thing very well.

PSP Nearing US Release

The New York Times has a piece on the fervor surrounding the upcoming release of the Sony Playstation Portable device, a fully-integrated entertainment system that lets people listen to music, watch movies, and play video games.

Maybe the most interesting part of the article appears at the top, where they discuss some Americans who couldn't wait until the end of March to get their devices. Instead, they traveled to Japan, where the PSP was released in December.

There has been lots written about the coming mobile game wars, and it's likely that we're going to see some rapid innovations within the next few years -- most likely just as the new game consoles come out.

But it's not just going to be hardware. It's not out of the realm of possibilities to image someone seeing a movie, grabbing a digital copy of a game from a kiosk outside the theater, and then docking that in a console -- thus creating a point-of-sale impulse purchase across multiple platforms.

If that feels a little too market-y for your tastes, consider the amazing success of integrated titles like The Matrix and Halo 2.

Sony Poised with Multimedia Handheld

Apparently, the future is here when it comes to mobile media devices. Sony's much-anticipated PSP -- a handheld device that plays music, movies, and video games -- is expected to be a huge international seller, according to this AP report.

It's hard not to be on the bandwagon, though, particularly if you've been following the news about PDSs and smart phones. Manufacturers are moving away from single-use devices, instead, focusing their efforts on making their gadgets handle multiple forms of media. The reason: a few years ago, studies found that people were willing to carry 2 electronic devices with them, but no more.

So, the more bang you give consumers, the more bucks you get.

What's next then? The smart companies will begin with promotions, packaging mobile games for the PSP (maybe Sony Pictures will get on this, or Sony Records) with DVDs and CDs. These are upsells that get you around the file-trading issue. Give codes to unlock content or receive discounts on future purchases.

Mobile Games Get Friendly

The not-so-fancy cell phones games are getting a bit more interesting thanks to some added community features, according to this AP story.

The big movement across all game platforms is designing interactive and social experiences that allow people to play and talk with each other. Now, with mobile technologies becoming more pervasive and powerful, players – especially casual ones – are finding that their handheld devices are more than just voice communicators.

"The mobile phone is really turning into a social computer," said Trip Hawkins, founder of Digital Chocolate Inc.

The San Mateo-based startup is one of more than 300 companies developing games for U.S. cell phone users. Its offerings includes "Solitaire", in its so-called mobile league, in which players can post scores and compete for rank and glory.

Mobile Games to Top $1 Billion

Mobile games will become a $1 billion business in the coming year, according to this Reuters new story.

For years, companies have been searching for ways to create mobile content that is robust and interesting enough to compel users to pay for new services. Games – particularly those that are simple to understand and quick to play – offer the best of these.

The U.S. market – while lagging behind the rest of the world – will likely see the biggest growth, now that major game companies have thrown their weight behind the market.

Earlier this year, gaming giant Electronic Arts said it will boost production of video games for mobile phones over the next year, bringing four top-selling titles including Fifa Football and The Sims to handsets.

With large brands beginning to dominate the market, and with so many movie studio-game production deals getting done, it's likely that handheld users will start to see tie-in games as well.

Mobile Game Battle Coming to US

Mobile gaming in the U.S. gets a kick in the pants this November as Nintendo announced plans to release its two-screen device, just weeks before Sony's multimedia handheld hits retail stores, according to this BBC News article.

The two releases from these video game heavyweights will likely start a rough-and-tumble corporate war between electronics manufacturers hoping to dominate the coming mobile world. But the future isn't likely to be tied only to portable games.

Already Nokia has jumped into the fray with its N-Gage series, which combines a cell phone with its game device.

Ultimately, these three companies – along with Microsoft and a few others – will likely vie for brand domination, locking in customers who will likely be paying for services far outside the game realm.

As processing gets more powerful, and people get more comfortable using these portable devices, the next-generation of handhelds (and yes, I'm talking about the next-generation before the first generation is actually out) will include DVD-playback, MP3 playback, calendar, phone, and gaming functionalities.

Mobile Games Go Multiplayer

Mobile multiplayer gaming – the kind that allows users to actually compete head-to-head against each other – is finally about to take off, according to this Associated Press article.

For some time, mobile gaming has been limited to single-player games on handsets, with users sometimes able to post their high scores to one centralized list. That was, for a bit, the extent of multiplayer games. Some handsets did adopt Bluetooth technology, allowing up to four players who are within 100 feet to compete against each other.

The new mobile multiplayer games aren't Doom or Tomb Raider though. In fact, they are little more than Pong in terms of game play.

“We took our inspiration from the classic arcade games and added the human competitive element, allowing people across the country to play against each other in a real-time environment. We then focused our efforts to pack the satisfaction of immersive online games into just a few minutes of spare time,” Allen Eichler, President of Blue Ridge Games, said in a written release.

Blue Ridge Games and Verizon Wireless launched Momentum, a maze game where up to six players vie to collect the most treasure while running through a maze.

Microsoft Smart Watches Get Webby

We have a running joke where I work that we are going to beam television shows to any electronic device ever sold – whether it has a screen on it or not. The joke got a little less funny after this press release found it's way into my home account: Microsoft announced an agreement with watchmaker Tissot that would allow its consumer portal, MSN, to deliver information to smart watches.

With its exclusive tactile technology, the Tissot High-T Smart Watch enables wearers to simply touch their watch to receive news, weather, sports and stock updates; appointment reminders; and other information through MSN Direct.

The Tissot High-T is available for purchase at fine jewelry stores in select North American markets, and it is the first Smart Watch to have the price of the watch include six months of the MSN Direct service. Tissot is offering a special white-glove service through which customers can have their Smart Watch activated at the point of purchase.

It's clear that smart devices are the next killer app, giving people the ability to port a life's worth of information with them wherever they go. In fact, it's quite likely that we'll be watching movie trailers and checking out game demos on wearable computers at the point-of-purchase in the near future.